Richard Vanek
Colonel Richard Vanek is a secondary antagonist in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. He is associated with four projects as the head of security: Paragon, Origin, Perseus, and Harbinger. His voice actor is unknown. Monolith Timeline ''F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin'' Richard Vanek is a former Marine Force Recon Colonel and is the Commander of Armacham Technology Corporation forces. Being a former Marine officer, Vanek attempts to carry out his mercenary duties with military perfection. He is extremely temperamental, oftentimes barking out unintentionally comical comments to the player and to his own men. He is also prone to curse in diverse selections, which is somewhat understandable since only one man (Michael Becket) eliminates the majority of his men without too much trouble. However, his Black Ops units are considerably better trained than the security guards, whom he commands with powerful authority. Some of his Lieutenants (Samuels, Mendez, etc.) are mentioned, implying that the Black Ops forces are more organized than the regular security guards. He has high level access to almost every project in Armacham Technology Corporation's history, and finds the Replica project extremely disgusting. He is very "commanding" of his Black Ops, does not tolerate failure, and openly vents his frustration when things go wrong for him. Vanek also seems to be feared as well, as Genevieve Aristide desperately sends a distress call that if she is found by Vanek, she would likely be killed. However, according to the radio conversation between Vanek and the Black Ops Light Soldiers, they want to capture Genevieve alive, probably due to the order of the ATC's Board of Directors. He is first heard in Valkyrie Tower. Vanek is not encountered there but his radio commands can be heard and issues his men to eliminate any threats to their operation immediately. The player first meets Vanek during an encounter in the T.A.C. Lab, where the mercenary commander orders Lieutenant Samuels and his men to dispose of Michael Becket. Later on, he appears multiple times over the course of the game, typically taunting the player and ordering the men under his control to attack. After his successful demolition of the Harbinger Facility, Vanek uses an Abomination with weak telepathic ability to control the Replica Soldiers, and then leaves the clones with Becket, assured that they will kill the Delta Force operative. Later on, Snake Fist reveals that Vanek and the remaining squads of the ATC Black Ops have cornered himself and Genevieve Aristide in Wade Elementary School. Becket pursues Vanek to the secret labs below the school, where he engages the Colonel in hand-to-hand combat. The two struggle over Vanek's shotgun, but Becket forces the muzzle under Vanek's chin and blows his head off. After Vanek's death, the Black Ops are not faced again for the rest of the game. Tips * If the player doesn't want to fight with him in Interval 05 - Snake Fist, an AT-L4 Proximity Mine can be placed at the door. When the button is hit, the player can use Slow-Mo to stand back, taking minimal damage. Warning: Not to be tried on Hard Mode, or if the player is lacking in armor or health. * The player can also use the XS Shock Grenade by placing it near the door. Trivia *Vanek apparently has a very tight grip on his Ultra92, to the point that even after he dies, Becket can't pick it up and claim the ammo from it. **This is possibly inspired by the same situation of the Nightcrawler Commander in F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, who also has a firm grip on his MP-50 Repeating Cannon after his death. *Curiously, he is the only ATC character to use the Ultra 92, while the heavy soldiers use SHO Series-3. *He and one other operative are the last surviving active members of the Black Ops team during the final encounter. After Vanek is killed, the last Black Ops member attempts to escape, only to be killed shortly afterward by an Abomination. *Vanek appears to be based on Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, in particular his tendency to bark borderline nonsensical invective at the slightest provocation. *Gene Hackman's portrayal of John Herod in The Quick and the Dead heavily influenced Vanek's performance in F.E.A.R. 2. *Vanek is the start-up announcer for the ATC side of multiplayer, he also updates the status for ATC team. *Vanek refers to the Perseus Project as "fucking crazy." * The Colonel speaks with grudging respect to Beckett shortly before their fight, commending his skills and lethality. He also shows eagerness to fight Beckett, possibly wanting to test his own military-grade skills against a worthy opponent. Quotes Gallery Richard Vanek.png|Richard Vanek Render Fear2Col_Richard_Vanek_by_faithtastu.jpg|Vanek's bio from the Armacham Field Guide. A Portrait of Richard Vanek. .jpg|A portrait of Richard Vanek. DavMat_Vanek.jpg|Richard Vanek fighting against Michael Becket. 9350-1-.jpg|Early Screenshot of Vanek viewing at the surveillance camera. es:Richard_Vanek ru:Ричард_Вэнек Category:Deceased Category:F.E.A.R. 2 Enemies Category:Male characters Category:Characters Category:Enemies Category:F.E.A.R. 2 Characters Category:ATC Forces Category:ATC Black Ops